Explosion-engine.



!. LESEM.

EXPLOSION ENGINE.

APPLICATION map AUG.2. \916 1 ,272,683 Patented J uly 16, 1918.

2 SHEETSS HEET l.

WITNESSES LESEM.

EXPLOSION ENGINE.

Patented July 16, 1918.

2 SHEET$SHEET 2. 27

s STATES ISIDOR LESEM, OF WICHITA, KANSAS.

Application filed August 2,

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, ISIDOR LESEM, a citizen of the United States, residing at Wichita, in the county of Sedgwick and State of Kansas, have invented a new and useful Explosion-Engine, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has reference to explosion engines and its object is to provide an engine by means of which the direct efi'ect of the explosion is ,utilizable for the propulsion of vessels on the water bythe reaction of the effect of the explosion upon the water in which the vessel floats.

In accordance with the present invention the force of the explosion is exerted directly upon amovable member in contact with the water, so that the member moves against the'water in the same direction as the force of the explosion is exerted. This is brought about by providing a cylinder and piston constructed in accordance with gas engine practice, and connected to the piston is a movable member .in the general form of a piston mounted to act in the same direction as the first piston and by engagement with the water in which the vessel floats propel the vessel. Byithis means the force of the explosion is directly transmitted to the water without the interposition. of gearing or cranks or propeller Wheels or -the like. Moreover, byemounting the engine upon a swivelsu'pport'itmay be directed variously mounted near the bow of the vessel the pro pelling force maybe so directed as to lift the bow of the vessel so that the vessel in .its movements operates after the manner of aglider.

. Furthermore, the arrangement is such that the exhaust of the engine is utilized for propelling purposes and the pressure of the water upon the propelling member serves to return the parts to the first position, thus compressing an explosive charge tobe ignited after compression for consequent explosion, the action being automatic so long as an operator may desire.

The invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detailed description, taken in connectlon with the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, with the further understanding that while the drawings show a practical form of the invention, the latter Specification of Letters Patent.

EXPLOSION-EN GIN E.

is not confined to any strict conformity with the showing of the drawings, but may be changed and modified so long as such changes and modifications come within the scope of the appended claims.

In the drawings Figure l is a side elevation with some parts 1n section of an engine embodying the present invention and showing a support whereby it may be attached to a boat so that its propelling member maybe located beneath the surface of the water.

Fig. 2 is a vertical axial section of the engine of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the engine of Fig. 1 showing it turned at an angle for steering purposes.

Fig. 4 is a schematic plan View of a boat equipped with a plurality of engines.

Referring to the drawings there is shown a base I mounted to turn upon a support 2, the. showing being more or less schematic and without attempt to illustrate any special structure. By swiveling the base 1 upon the support 2 the base may be turned to various angles assuming that the support 1 is approximately horizontal, or the support 1 may be assumed to be movable to various angles, so that the structure is capable of being moved toward various points on the horizon or to various inclinations to an upright line. In the showing of Fig. 3 the support 2 may be considered either as horizontal or vertical, thereby illustrating the various angular positions of which the engine is capable.

Mounted on the base 1 are standards 3, at, respectively, carrying between them cylin: ders 5, 6, respectively. The cylinder 5 constitutes the power cylinder, while the cylinder 6 is utilized as a pump cylinder, and in the machine as built for active service these cylinders are properly proportioned to the work they are called upon to do. Within the cylinder 5 is a piston 7 mounted on a piston rod 8 extending through the standard 3 and into a casing 9 in which is lodged a piston 10 constituting the driving member of the engine and designed to engage the water in which the vessel floats for impact thereon to drive the vessel. The cylinder 9 has a continuation 11, which since it need not be of as large size as the cylinder 10 is contracted toward the standard 3 and is con nected to a base plate 12 made fast to the standard-3. Mounted onthe piston rod- '8 is a spring 13 which serves the purpose of a shock absorber to prolong the'effect'efthe explosion.

The cylinder 6 contains a piston l lona piston rod 15, which at the end remote from the piston is married to the. front of -the icylto allow the latter 'to escape .into the water ina manner to aid in propelling-the vessel. The various valves 16, 1.7 i and 18 arefunder the control of a lever 21, which in turn is operated by a rod 22 connected'to the piston 10. V

The lever 21 is mounted uponand-turns about a pivot 21 .parallel withthe length of the lever, so that the latter moves about a substantially horizontal are when :the ;p.arts are in the upright position shown in 1 and v2. This causes the twisted endsbf the lever to move in arcs about aisubstantially upright axis underthe assumption that the engine is located as in Figs. 1 and 2,"wherefore sucharc of movement causes the actuation of the valves .16, 1.7 and 18, which action is in proper sequence considering the parts 'to be all properly adjusted.

The connection between'the level-.21 and the pivot 21 is through .an angle bracket to one arm of which a lever 22 is connected, this beinga lever of. the first class in the showing of the drawings. The lever 22 is actuated by the rod 22, which in turn. is actuated by the piston 10. Assiiiiiingrtlie parts to be in the position shown .in Figs. 1 and 2, and an explosion tohave just taken place driving the-piston 7 outwardly, the rod 22 connecting the'pis'ton 10 with the 'lever 22 causes the movement of'the lever 21 about an upright axis, and this -:by reason of the twist of the ends of the lever permits the valve'16 to closeand the valve 17 to open, so that the travel of the piston 14 W-iththe piston 10 draws .a fresh charge into the cylinder 6, while the-outward stroke is taking place. At the end of the outward stroke, the pistons 7 and '10 are returned tothe first position by the pressure o'fthe'water on the piston 10, thereby again rocking the lever 21 on an upright axis, causing the valve 17 to close and the valves 16 and 18 to open, so that the piston 14; having :already drawn charge into the :cylinder 6, compresses this charge into the .cylinder '5 in the explosion chamber thereof, ready for ignition when full compression is reached.

The cycle of' operations ets-described con tinues--uninterruptedly so long as the engine runs;

For igniting the explosive mixture com- .pressediin the cylinder 5, there is provided these may follow the usual gas engine practice.

The valve end of'the engineis inlos ed in" a casing 24 and the cylinders 5 and6 are in an installed engine submerged, which is also true of"'the1ca'sing'.24:, so'tha't all parts are'at all times under 'the cooling influence of "the water in which the engine is located and overheating is completel avoided.

In the" standard 4 a1'e"ducts25,"26, the latter having a 'pipe connection 27 which may be assumed to lead :to any suitablesourcepf explosive mixturefof which the carbureter" I may be taken as an example, but "which carbureter IS 'not'shown' in'the drawings; The

duct 26 opens into the cylinder 6 through the valve'17 and the cylinder 6 discharges through the valve 18"into the duct 25 from which a charge "drawn into the cylinder 6 is:directecl' through the valve "16 into the cylinder '5 to be there compressed by the piston 7 and "finally "ignitedby 'a' sp'ark'l'at'f the-spark plu"g"23 "When'anexplosion takes place the piston 7 isldr'iven toward the" left as viewed-in Fig.2 with the 'piston 616p artici- 'pating in "such movement, and as -this piston is submerged in the water in direct contact with the "latter, the direct propelling force of the explosion .is' imp'arted directly"and in the same direction tethe' 'surrounding water by the moving piston '10. Assoonas the exhaust port 19"is reached, 'atwhieh 'time the force ofthe explosion hasbeen -spent,-so

that on the escape of the gases of combustionthrough-the exhaust valve 20, the pressure of water'upon the piston 10L causes'a return movement of the parts to'thefirst position, "this being sufliciently pow erfiil ,..to eject the fresh charge drawn'intothe-cylinder '6 by the forward movement-oft he piston 14: and cause its transfer through'the duct 25 to the cylinder '5, "w'here it is ultismately compressed on the explosion chamber side of the piston '7 'and then'ignited for a second explosion; In thismannerthe en- I gine is caused to run' w-ith the forwarder power stroke caused the explosionand the return or compression stroke caused by the external water pressure, thewhol eration taking "place without; any"cranks or gears .or revolving propellers and'the only work to be performed other than" the iprop'elling movements is tnatnecessaryro=0 erate the valves, which work is practically negligible.

7 In Fig. 4 there is shown a boat 28, the showing being purely schematic, and on the sides of the boat are supports 2 which may be assumed to carry explosion engines of the character hereinbefore described. By providing a multiplicity of engines mounted to be turned in theproper direction and to the desired degree of inclination, the boat may be propelled with great force and at great speed with the forward engines so situated as to exert a lifting force, whereby water friction on the boat is largely eliminated. An operator may control all the engines, and thereby be able to direct the boat by regulating the running of the engines on the opposite sides. For instance, if the boat is to be turned rapidly, the engines on one side may be stopped and those on the other side permitted to run, or if the boat is to be turned slowly, these engines may be caused to run at different speeds without materially reducing the speed of the boat.

Vith the engine of the present invention power is applied directly, that is, in a straight line, from the, explosion engine to the point of utilization, which in this case is the body of water in which the vessel floats, this being done without cogs, or wheels or gearing of any kind, thereby eliminating a large amount of friction and acquiring a corresponding increase of power or efliciency. There is a further economy in utilizing the pressure of water in the body of water in which the vessel floats for the return of parts to compress a new charge and operate the valves. Furthermore, what power may exist in the exhaust and which has heretofore been to a large extent wasted, is directed so as to impact with the water in a manner to aid in propelling the boat.

By arranging the engine so that it may be swun about a vertical axis or tilted about a horizontal axis, not only may the boat be steered but the lifting of the boat causes less displacement with a commensurate gain in power or speed without detracting from the efliciency of the engine.

Because the normal pressure of the water is utilized to return the parts to their first position, it is possible to secure a power stroke at every reciprocation without the use of wheels or other direction changing means or extra cylinders or extra machinery of any kind.

By providing a suflicient range of turning movement of the engine it may be made to work in a direction opposite to the ordinary propelling direction, whereby the boat may be readily moved backward or may be made by a lesser amount of deviation of the engine to turn within a very small radius.

While the drawings show and the description has referred only to one power cylinder,

-it will be understood that each engine may include as many power cylinders as may be found necessary. In small boats a one-cylinder engine placed about midway of the width of the boat and toward the stern thereof will be sufficient. WVith large boats each engine may be a multi-cylinder engine and as many engines are employed as the size of the boat and the speed desired may demand.

Again, the mounting of the engine so that it may be turned in various directions is susceptible of many embodiments, for which reason only one simple form has been shown, and such form has been to an extent schematically shown.

What is claimed is 1. An explosion engine for boat propulsion, comprising a cylinder and a reciprocatory piston therein adapted to be located in the water on which the boat is supported, with the face of the piston directly exposed to the water, and a reciprocatory explosion engine having a piston directly connected with the first-named piston, with the connection yieldable in the direction of the movement of the pistons to absorb the shock 'of the explosion in transmitting the movement of the second piston.

'2. An explosion engine comprising a cylinder, a reciprocatory piston therein, means for propelling the piston by explosive forces, a water-engaging member connected to the piston for reciprocation thereby to the same extent and in the same direction as the piston, and connecting means between the pis ton and the water-engaging member yieldable in the direction of the stroke to cushion the eflect of the driving impulse due to the explosion upon the water-engaging member.

3. Boat propelling means, comprising a power unit having a reciprocatory piston with means for driving it by explosive impulses, a water engaging piston in line with the first-named piston and movable thereby in the same direction and to a like extent as the power piston, and a mounting for the power unit and the water engaging piston for the simultaneous and bodily adJustment of both the power unit and the water-engaging piston for adjusting the direction of movement of the parts with respect to the direction of movement of the boat through the water,

4. An explosion engine for boat propulsion, comprising an explosion cylinder with a piston therein, another cylinder with a piston therein, said second cylinder having one end open for contact of the piston therein with the water on which the boat floats, a piston rod carried by the first-named piston and engaging the second-named piston, and cushioning means between the piston rod and second-named piston and constituting a piston to the first-named shock absorber for relieving the secondnamed epi'ston fromuthesudden e'fi'ect of-an enplosionwacting on the first-named piston.

'5. An explosion engine for boat propulsion comprising an explosion cylinder with a piston therein another cylinder with a piston therein connected to the piston of the first nam'ed cylinder, said second cylinder having one end open'for contact of the i=piston therein with the water on which the boat floats, and valveimechanism and a .valve casing for the engine, whereby the Whole engine may be immersed in the water on Winch the 'boa't' fioats' ifo'rthe propulsion of theboat by reciprocation of the secondnamed piston, said engine having a shock absorber interposed between the t-WO pistons, andsaidengine also being provided with an exhaust duct for the explosion cylinder o 'aening'into ithe Water in a directioncorresponding to the power-stroke of the secondnamed piston.

6. Means forboat propulsion comprising an explosion engine with a power piston, "another piston connected to the first-named :piston for actuation thereby in the same di' rection and to a like extent, means for-forcing explosive charges into the first-named piston,

another piston connected to illlQfiISta-Hitll'ld 35 piston for actuation thereby in the-same direction a'nd'to a like extent, means for forc- 'ing explosive charges into the first-named piston, and connections between the secondnamed piston and-said last-named means 40 for actuating-said .1ast-named means by :reclprocation of the: second-named PlStOll, said explosion engine beingprovided with valves and actuating means therefor, and connections between the valveactnating means-and 45 the second-named iPlStOH :for the operation of the valve :operating means by reciprocation ofkthe second-named piston.

In testimon that I claim the'foregoing my own, '1 have hereto affixed my-signa- 50 tin-e 1n the presence of two'wltnesses.

ISIDOR nEsEM.

VVitn'esses':

M. rRUDliKEN, N. RoW nY.

copies of this patent may be obtained tornvereents each, "byhaddrcssingthcCoinmissioher ot-Patent's,

W ashingtom-Di 0'.

said last namedmean'sfor 30 

